Heal Me
by l a u r a uzu
Summary: They begged him to help her heal, but he knew that he was just as broken as she was. KakaRin. Slight AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: **They begged him to help her heal, but he knew that he was just as broken as she was. KakaRin. Slight AU.

_x x x_

"_Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather, the triumph over it."_

_x x x_

"Excuse me, Lord Hokage," the young kunoichi began, her long brown hair swaying slightly behind her as she took a step towards the Hokage's desk. She folded her arms behind her back respectfully, looking into the wrinkled eyes of the aged man that sat silently before her. She continued, despite the light flush that flared on her cheeks and the rapid palpitations of her heart, "I believe you _must _have confused me with another person," she paused, her bangs tickling her tattooed cheeks by the breeze of the slow moving fan over head, "I'm not even qualified to accept a mission of this rank-"

"Rin," the Sandaime began, cutting the newly appointed Tokubetsu Jonin off, "when you were appointed, you essentially took on the title of a Jonin. May I remind you that, Jonins _are_ of the rank to accept every mission offered to them, including S-ranked missions." He paused, looking Rin square in her brown eyes. "With that said, _I _was the one who chose who will be assigned this mission. I'm taking your reluctance as a sign that you don't...trust in my ability to do so."

"No, sir," she responded definitively, "However-"

"Very well then. What exactly is the problem?" Hiruzen asked as he rose his wooden pipe to his lips, lighting it with a simple snap of his fingers.

Rin took a moment, sorting out all of the reasons why she she more than believed that she was the wrong person for this job. Reasons that she thought were more than evident.

Her mind settled on the one that stood out to her the most; the one that caused her to have the most hesitation.

"I don't have confidence in my own ability," she confessed, managing to keep her stand and voice steady. "I was only appointed as a Tokubetsu Jonin because of my extensive knowledge in medical ninjutsu and explosives. And considering the context of the mission, I don't think either of those skills will be needed."

A wave of silence fell over the five people that found themselves in the Hokage's round room. Hiruzen let out a plum of smoke as he looked up at her. Taking another breath of the addicting fumes, he placed the wooden pipe down before lacing his winkled fingers together before his face, his elbows resting on the table.

"Do you know what the purpose of a team is, Nohara-san?" He asked rhetorically. "A team is there to become one operating unit – each member has a part to play and is supported by their fellow teammates in what they fall short in," he paused raising from his seat.

Rin's eyes slid shut as she concentrated on the sound of his footsteps bouncing off of the rounded walls as he made his way to the front of the desk, standing before the four shinobi that stood silently before him.

He once again looked Rin directly in her eyes. "By you using that as a reason to decline this mission, you are, in effect, saying that you don't have confidence in the abilities of the teammates that stand behind you now."

Rin's eyes shot open, locking onto the man that stood before her, a cloud of smoke surrounding him. It was only then that Rin could feel the steady gazes from the masked eyes of the three ANBU members that stood behind her.

Thankfully, one of the stares was oddly comforting; a gaze that she had grown used to. One that she worked so hard to gain.

"Do you not have confidence in us, Nohara-san?" a deep, unfamiliar voice called from behind her. Rin turned towards her assigned team, facing the three masked men. Her eyes flashed over the familiar silver hair that stood on the crown of the man adorned with the Hound mask before shifting back to the man who questioned her.

Her lips parted slightly as she struggled to form a response, her lithe fingers tensing slightly into the palms of her hands.

She was _so _nervous. She knew she should trust the judgment of the Sandaime. But what if...what if she just got in the way, _again_? Her stomach flopped into itself sending a nauseous, uncomfortable feeling to surge through Rin's body.

"Nohara-san?" the voice called, bringing her from out herself. She identified that the deep, almost comforting voice came from behind the panther mask.

"Of course I do, ANBU-san," she finally replied before turning back to the Sandaime. "I have confidence in my team," she expounded confidently.

Who was she to turn down a mission given to her by the Hokage. She was simply a part of a large machine operated by the ANBU. A machine that would surely operate just fine if she didn't.

And maybe, things will be different this time.

Hiruzen's face cracked into a small, proud smile. "Very well then. Your teammates will be Hyou-san and Haundo-san with Tori-san being the captain of this mission. You will be referred to as Raion, make sure that you never reveal your true identity, Rin."

She watched as Hiruzen went to his desk and picked up the mask that sat there previously unnoticed. He held the porcelain mask out to her, releasing it once she took a step forward and accepted it with both hands.

Rin took in the simply painted mask, the red depiction of a lion contrasting greatly with its smooth white background.

"That is your temporary mask. This does not make you an official member of the ANBU," Tori advised her, his voice low and baritone. " I have already sent for someone to leave your issued uniform in your home, you are to wear that during the mission. We are leaving no later than six in the morning, two days from now. Come any later and you will be left behind. Understood?"

Rin turned to face her captain properly. The tone of his voice gave her the hint that all he was saying was not to be taken lightly. He definitely didn't become an ANBU leader by taking things the easy way.

She bowed, holding her arms to her side, as her brown hair fell to curtain around her face. "Yes, sir."

She rose back to her full height as Tori bowed towards the Hokage before disappearing, leaving nothing but a thin cloud of smoke in his wake.

"We will see you tomorrow, Raion," Hyou bid to her before also disappearing from their presence.

Rin turned to face Hiruzen, once again bowing respectfully. "Thank you, Lord Hokage," she uttered before raising and turning to face the last ANBU member in the room. The one that she was more than comfortable with. She bowed slightly towards him before weaving the simple signs that would teleport herself into the comforts of her own home.

The final ANBU member that wore the Hound mask lingered for just a few minutes more before following the suit of his three teammates. He soon vanished in a cloud of smoke that was just a few shades darker than his silk like silver hair.

_x x x_

Rin carefully placed the lion mask onto her dresser, pairing it with the metal, ANBU uniform that was left on her bed.

She tried hard to not think of how they managed to place the outfit. After all, the ANBU can do nearly every and anything.

Her ear twitched at the light tapping that came from her large bedroom window. A smiled graced her face as the image of the hound mask registered in her mind.

"Kakashi," she began, unlocking the latch before swinging a pane of her window open.

The uniformed ANBU climbed into her bedroom, as he has many times before. He closed the distance between them, the light breeze ruffling his hair from behind as it flowed in through the open window. His right hand rose to slip his make off, revealing the navy blue fabric mask that laid beneath.

"Rin," he greeted, his lips pulling back into a smile that was easily seen behind the fabric barrier. He took her into an endearing hug, his keen nose picking up on the light scent of strawberries that stuck to her hair. "Are you alright?" he asked her, pulling away but keeping his arms around her waist.

She let out a light, airy laugh. "I'm terrified," she admitted, looking down between them. "I don't want to get into anyone's way, again," she added, her voice drifting off with every word.

"Lord Hokage wouldn't assign you to this mission if he didn't believe you would complete it. Nor would Tori-san accept you as a teammate. You'll be doing everything but getting in the way," he reassured, lifting her chin with his index finger and thumb. He examined her subtle features with his single steel colored eye. "And I'll be there to protect you."

_Just like I promised. _

Rin gazed up at Kakashi's masked face, her fingers raising slowly to the mask that covered it. She ghosted her thumbs along his asked lips, a light smile gracing her own. She hooked her fingers gently into the edge of his mask, looking into his eye for any signs of protest. Not finding any, she slowly pealed his mask down, revealing the lower half of his face and eventually uncovering his lips that had a healthy shade of pink to them.

Leaving the edge of his mask, she traced along the scar that ran down the center of his left eyelid that he cautiously kept closed to shield his given Sharingan. She lifted herself slightly onto her toes, guiding his lips towards her own as she planted a chaste kiss on his warm lips.

Satisfying herself with a few more light pecks, she traced her hands down the length of his arms.

"I trust you," she finally responded, looking up at him.

Kakashi's lips pulled back into a smile that was only recognizable by Rin. He nodded his head lightly before pulling her into another embrace.

_I'll never let anything happen to you._ He promised to himself, drawing her warm body as close as he could to his own.

Why would he fail her now?

x x x

I feel like Kaka and Rin would be insanely close (And in my ideal world, be an item) after the death of Obito and Minato – if she was still alive, of course. Teams are kinda like families, and when you lose half of them, you have no other choice than to depend on each other, right? Then again, I just love KakaRin. c:

Reviews would be greatly appreciated, especially if they contain constructive criticism.

Thank you for reading, 皆さん。:)


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you thank you thank you to Prescripto13 and sundes2013 for reviewing on my story. It means the world to me. :)

Please enjoy this chapter~ (And don't forget to review again! ^.^)

* * *

It seemed as if they were traveling for hours.

And they have been. From the moment they dispatched that morning at six, to now when the sun began its slow descent through the sky, the team had no taken a break once. They've all but increased their speed periodically, the goal of reaching the site of the mission before sundown clear in their eyes.

Rin struggled to keep up and could feel the strain setting into the thin muscles of her lithe figure. She was _exhausted_ but used everything inside her to go against voicing it. She would not allow herself to be a hindrance to the machine that she happened to be added to. Not yet at least.

They moved silently and quickly through the thick forestation that surrounded Konohagakure for miles on end. The setting sun showered it's orange and gold rays through the thick canopies of the tree leaves of head,dancing in the light breeze that flowed on the summer air.

They traveled in a diamond formation. Tori formed the front tip of the pattern with Hyou and Kakashi flanking his right and left sides. Rin formed the ending point of the formation, silently struggling to keep up, working just a little past her limits to maintain their pace.

They would've continued on as they were had it not been for Tori's sudden silent command. He rose his right arm before pointing towards a large opening that they were quickly approaching.

Rin let out a silent call of gratitude. _Someone _must've felt the exhaustion that she did as it pulsed through her body.

Tori landed at the edge of the large clearing with a soft thud. Not soon after, his three subordinates landed behind him quietly, waiting for his next command.

"Let's review the objective of this mission," Tori began, his voice muffled behind his mask. His team took a few steps closer to the tall man, closing the distance between them. They watched silently as he pulled out the only copy of the mission scroll, holding it in his hand without opening the seal.

"We have been assigned to do an assassination. However, we first need to locate the subjects in question. We have reports that they have been spotted in a small village that's just behind the range of waterfalls that surround the border of Hi no Kuni.-"

"They?" Hyou questioned, cutting off his captain fearlessly.

"Yes, they. Its the three bosses of a small but growing rebel group that originated in Sunagakure," he paused, igniting the unopened scroll in the palm of his hand. He had memorized its contents long ago - there was no need to have a physical copy remaining. "Most likely, they will have some sort of bodyguard system, one that will surely outnumber our team." Tori looked over at Rin pointedly before continuing. "But that won't be a problem, now will it?"

Kakashi and Hyou turned slightly to look at the lion masked girl who stood silently behind them. Her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, save for the few strands that escaped during their journey here.

Her breath hitched slightly. "No, sir."

"Do you have it?"

Kakashi looked back at Tori, his confused expression hidden by the hound mask that covered his face. By reflex, his gaze shot back over at Rin as the quiet pop of the button on her weapon pouch reached his ears, catching his attention.

The three ANBU members watched in silence as she slipped out three slim vials that were filled with a clear, orange tinted liquid.

"Yes, sir," she responded, displaying the vials. "However," she continued dropping her hand back to her side, slipping the vials back into the pocket they came from, "I only have three vials of the antidote."

She felt her already weakened stomach fall into a deeper pit as a large sigh escaped Tori's lips.

"You planned on using a nerve agent when you didn't have enough of the antidote to make your team immune to its effects?" He asked dumbfounded, his voice eerily calm and low. "How..._stupid_ could you have been to believe that that would be a wise idea?"

"Tori," Hyou hissed. He along with Kakashi were clearly confused. Rin and Tori obviously had some arrangement that went previously unmentioned to their two teammates. He didn't like it, especially if it involved something this dangerous.

"Nerve agent?" Kakashi finally asked, looking back over at Tori. "Who gave the order to-"

"I did," Tori responded. "It's more effective than dealing with every enemy we come across. I did not, however, expect it's creator to be this negligent of their duties."

"I didn't have enough time to replicate the antidote a fourth time," Rin cut in, knowing all too well that Tori's last comment was directed at her. "And every time you do so, the antidote becomes weaker and weaker. It was the only way that I could ensure it would still work."

A wave of silence fell among the team, each of them lost in their thoughts. It wasn't until Hyou said something that the painful silence came to an end.

"Then we can't use it. Not when we know that one of us will be incapacitated."

"Nerving agents are lethal," Rin corrected. "Without the antidote it's nearly impossible to survive it."

"What do they do?" He asked, taking a step towards the brunette.

Rin took a moment, her mind flooding with all the side effects of the potent poison. "To say the least," she began, "It shuts down your organs, eventually causing death by asphyxiation."

"Then we definitely can't use it," Hyou corrected himself. "We accepted this mission with the mindset that we'd be fighting, it's no problem for us to do so-"

"Rin will go without the antidote," Tori declared calmly.

Hyou took a surprised step forward while Kakashi stood there between the two, looking off blankly at the dry ground below them.

"She's done her part, it would be stupid if any of us," he gestured at himself, Hyou and Kakashi, "Were to fall victim to the poison. Especially because of her negligence."

"She'll _die_," Hyou advised him, looking straight into Tori's blank eyes through the holes of his mask. "She's not one of us. If we're able to avoid her unnecessary death, then we should."

"My decision stands, Hyou."

Kakashi turned to face Tori completely, his lips parting as he prepared to finally give his thoughts on his decision. He was, however, cut off by the voice that came up from behind him.

"It's fine," Rin called, "I'll accept any consequences that come from my...negligence."

"Raion," Hyou uttered. "As someone of a higher rank, I forbid you from using the poison-"

"_My_ decision stands," Tori repeated, the simple phrase being enough to shoot down Hyou's command.

Kakashi shuffled on his feet before turning to face Rin, taking a few steps towards her until he was just inches from her person. He held his hand out towards her, silently ordering that she hand over the controversial liquids.

She looked up at him through her mask, failing to hide the feelings that swirled in her brown eyes. She glanced over at Kakashi's shoulder to Tori who stood there, silently, waiting for her reaction to Kakashi's request.

She glanced down at the weapon pocket that housed the poison before slipping her hand inside, having it reemerge with what Kakashi desired. She placed the vials into his hand, the light clinking of the slim flasks reaching her ears.

"Haundo," Tori called out as he watched Kakashi slip the given vials into his own weapon pouch. "Be prepared to explain your actions and disobedience when we return," he advised, leaving the topic at that. He turned to the direction that they were previously traveling in before pushing himself off the ground, disappearing in the thick forestation that laid out ahead of them.

Hyou lingered for a few moments after, eying Rin as she looked down in the space between herself and Kakashi. "You made the right decision, Raion," he praised quietly before following his captain, disappearing into the trees before them.

Kakashi placed a hand onto her slim shoulder. "Don't try to do something stupid like that again," he whispered to her, "I wouldn't be able to protect you from something like that," he added, squeezing her shoulder before letting go and following his higher ups into the darkening forest.

She stood in the clearing alone, watching the shadows of the leaves as they danced freely on the ground. Her chin dipped down to her chest as her eyes slid shut. Her hand rose to ghost over the weapon pouch that still held the poison within its fabric confinements.

_Sorry, Kakashi. _She thought to herself before following her teammates, continuing their journey through the thick woodland before her.

* * *

**Laura's rambles: **I just watched the whole Kakashi childhood filler thing that started at like episode 349, and I honestly...I can't. Kakashi is just such a cool/amazing/sweet/sad/dynamic character and I wish Kishimoto wouldn't be so mean to him. He was soo freaking adorable when he was younger, even though he pretty much hated life back then. Those dreams he had Rin scared me...I need to find a way to incorporate that into this story... anyways, thank you for reading!

Please leave a review as it will make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. :)

ps. I've been watching a lot of samurai/assassin movies (bc I'm a Netflix nerd who doesn't have a life) and I have about a billion ideas rumbling around in my head for another Kakashi-centric story (uh oh), so look out for that! I just may go through with it. :)


	3. Chapter 3

Finally! Chapter three. c:

Thank you so much to those of you who have reviewed, it means the world to me. I send virtual kissies your way. muah muah muah.

Please enjoy and don't forget to review~

* * *

_Wait for me._

_x x x_

Kakashi silently made his way through the white, lonely hallways of the village hospital. He ever so often passed a hurried nurse or doctor, that obviously couldn't spare a moment to chat.

Not that he could either.

It was only the day before yesterday that he returned home from a mission, one that lasted a full month. He was _exhausted_, and even though he spent the previous day resting, replenishing all of the needs that he neglected due to the dedication to his mission, his muscles still felt tired and heavy. It was as if he lugged the entire weight of another person on his back.

He continued on, despite himself. This was something he did every day, unless he had the misfortune of being assigned a mission. It was only then that he would made up for it by appearing the day after he returns, spending most of his day there simply relaying everything that happened in the days that passed. It was a habit that he developed over the three years, and exhaustion wouldn't be the reason that made him stop. Nothing would.

He placed a hand onto the cool metal door, pushing it open enough that he could slip in silently. The coolness of the room contrasted with that of the hallway's, the breeze that drifted in through the open window circulating through the sterile hospital room. The early morning autumn sun filtered in through the light curtains that covered the windows, washing the room and the people in it with a warm orange glow.

He presence was noticed by the nurse who stood over the patient who rested there silently. She looked up at him from her clipboard before looking back over at the medical machines that beeped ever other second, scribbling the signs and info it gave her onto the patient's file.

"Kakashi-san," she greeted as she dotted the last sentence she wrote on her daily report. "It's nice of you to visit again. I'm sure Nohara-san appreciates it greatly."

Kakashi simply nodded in response, his gaze set on the frail woman that laid on the hospital bed, almost motionless, save for the raise and fall of her chest with every assisted breath she took.

"I'll be out in a just a few moments, I just need to finish viewing her vitals and I'll be all done."

Kakashi nodded again, knowing that the nurse wouldn't catch onto the gesture. He made his way over to the chair that sat solemnly in the corner of the room, beside the window panes that stretched from one wall to the other. He silently fell into it, instantly feeling his muscles relax, coxing him into the world of the sleeping.

A wave of silence fell among the two conscious people that occupied the room. Kakashi watched through one, tired eye as the nurse lifted Rin's hand gently, checking for a pulse before pulling out a pale, pink stethoscope, holding the chest piece up to Rin's frail bosom.

He leaned his head back onto the spine of the chair, allowing his eyes to slide shut as he waited for the intruding nurse to finally leave them.

He was truly grateful to them, really, but their services didn't do much to improve Rin's situation.

Although, he didn't do much to stop her from ending up like this either.

A few silence moments passed until the nurse finally announced her leave, willing Kakashi to have a pleasant visit with Rin.

He slid the wooden chair from it's position in the corner, up to the side of Rin's bed, being careful to lift the wooden seat from the ground. Rin always hated the sound of wood scraping on wood.

Once there, he fell back into the seat, examining Rin's motionless face. His stomach fell as it did every time he saw her like this.

She seemed so _peaceful, _but he knew she was everything but.

His gloved hand reached out to take a hold of hers. He was surprised at how cool it was, although, he knew by now that he should be more than used to it.

"I'm back, Rin," he whispered, watching her face closely. He held her cold hand just a little tighter, rubbing his thumb over the smooth surface of the top side of her hand. "I'm exhausted," he admitted in a voice that hung between a sad laugh and a whisper.

He leaned in closer as he told her every single thing that happened during the mission, a large part of him knowing that she didn't hear a word of it, but a small part wishing she did.

x x x

A few hours had passed, and the sun hung proudly in the middle of it's azure background.

Kakashi had his head leaned down on the edge of Rin's bed, his hand clasping firmly on her own. It had warmed significantly, slowly taking the warmth that Kakashi emitted on his own. He let out slow, steady breaths as he napped near her side, something that always happened when he visited after a mission.

Her presence calmed him and made him believe that everything was okay. When he slept alone, no matter how exhausted he was, he was always tormented by vivid nightmares of his fallen teammate, and the scene that happened between him and the brunette many years prior.

They always seemed so real, and he never got any sleep alone because of them.

He stirred in his sleep slightly at the sound of the door creaking open. In his dazed state, he could vaguely make out a pair of footsteps making their way over to him.

His eye shot open at the hand that suddenly rested on his shoulder. He snapped his head up, and looked over at the owner of the hand, his own gloved one keeping it's grasp on Rin's frail one.

He relaxed slightly as the image before him registered, ringing as familiar to himself.

"Relax, Kakashi," Hyou chuckled, raising his hand in a surrendering fashion. He shifted his eyes over to the slumbering figure on the bed. "Is she doing any better?" He asked, carefully taking a seat at the edge of her bed, being sure not to disturb Rin.

"She's not doing any better than she was three years ago, Hyou," Kakashi replied, just a tinge of bitterness lacing his words.

"Right..." Hyou drifted off as he looked out before him in silence. "Do you visit her everyday?" He asked, looking over at the bushel of lavender that sat on the bedside table, although, they look to be more than a few days old. His keen nose was still able to pick up on the faint, if not non-existent, smell of lavender that floated throughout the room.

He silently took in a deep breath of the relaxing scent.

"I try to," Kakashi responded, blinking the slumber from his exposed eye. Kakashi sat up, looking over at the masked man who seemed to be drifting in his own thoughts. "What are you doing here?" He asked, not feeling the need to beat around the bush.

Hyou looked over at him, before his hand rose to his panther mask. He lifted it off, revealing his face, his tan skin being met by the sun.

It didn't surprise Kakashi, however. He had seen Hyou without his mask several times before, and he was sure that this wouldn't be the last.

"Lord Hokage wanted me to ask something of you," he began carefully.

"I left the ANBU for a reason, Hyou," Kakashi cut in, taking a successful guess at what the Hokage could possibly need from him now.

Hyou let out an audible sigh. He pushed himself onto his feet, standing back to his full height. He walked around the white, sterile bed that Rin rested in, over to the lavender that he noticed a few moments earlier.

"Are these her favorites?" He asked quietly, his thumb and index finger raising to gently rub the delicate petal of the dying flower. He looked over his shoulder back at Kakashi, watching as the ex-ANBU member rose from his seat before making his way to the curtained windows that stood behind him.

"She always told me the meanings of flowers," Kakashi began, his hand raising to peak through the window. The golden rays of the sun danced across his silver hair as the slow moving fan above moved the cool air in the room. "Lavender represents healing, or protection," He paused, looking back at Hyou as he heard him shuffling quietly. "The scent is her favorite," Kakashi added.

He caught onto Hyou's light nod.

"I don't remember her favorite, though," Kakashi confessed, his voice drifting away with every word that passed through his masked lips. His gaze fell back onto Rin, watching as her chest rose and fell with every breath she took and released.

Hyou laughed lightly. "She won't be happy when she finds that out, huh Kakashi?" He looked over at the Jonin. His face slowly fell from the smile that graced it.

Hyou knew that Rin's chances of waking up were slim. And of course, Kakashi knew as well. It was useless to hold onto such hopes; not even the strongest shinobi could survive the poison that Rin became infected with. Although he wasn't making a critique of her abilities, Kakashi knew that Rin was far from the strongest – even if it was her poison.

"Kakashi?"

The silver haired man looked up at his Senpai, his single eye catching onto the sad gaze of the older man.

"Its..." Hyou began, shifting his gaze away. He's told Kakashi this many times since it happened, he knew telling him once again wouldn't do anyone much justice.

It wasn't his fault. But it was as if Kakashi didn't know that.

Or he didn't accept it.

Hyou let out another sigh. "Sandaime wanted me to deliver this to you," Hyou finally announced, tossing the mission scroll that was previously in his pocket.

Because of his reflexes, Kakashi caught it with ease. He didn't bother opening it, he knew just from the color of the crimson scroll what the rank of the mission was, and what he was assigned to do.

"I know you just arrived from one," Hyou continued, looking up at the silent man, "But you're the only one who has the abilities to complete the mission," he paused, turning to face the door, "Please, consider accepting it," His sandals connected with the floor as he took the few, meticulous steps towards the metal door that leads into the hospital room. Just as he was going to disappear into the white hallways of the hospital, he looked back at Kakashi. "Its not your fault."

With that, the door creaked until it shut behind him.

Kakashi let out a silently sigh as he looked down at the scroll that sat in his right hand. He tucked it into the pouch that sat on his waist, before turning to face the slumbering Rin.

He took a few steps until he was almost flush with the bedside. He rose a gloved hand and placed it onto the side of Rin's face gently. Even through the leather of his glove, he could feel the coolness of Rin's cheek.

It was such a stark contrast to the girl that he grew up with. She always radiated warmth, even when her surroundings willed her not to.

It scared Kakashi. He had already lost Rin physically, but to lose her emotionally was something that not even the renowned Copy Cat Ninja could deal with.

"Wait for me," he whispered as he leaned down towards Rin, placing a light kiss onto her cool cheek.

He pulled away and made his way to the door, not taking a moment to look back.

He'd see her again. That was a promise he always make sure to keep.

The door finally clicked shut, a wave of silence falling upon the room, save for the occasional beep of the machines that helped Rin survive.

The sun continued to wash the white room in its warm, bright colors as it filtered through the window.

For the first time in what seemed to be an eternity, Rin could feel the light kiss of the sunshine on her right hand.

In the shadow of the sun's rays, Rin's nimble finger weakly curled into the pale palm.

She was awake. And will wait for Kakashi, just as she always has.

* * *

**AN:** Hi hi hi! I'm so sorry for not updating in what, like a week? I kinda had a case of writers block, so I instead lurked around here on fanfiction, falling in love with other writers' stories (stories that are way way way better written than this one ._.).

Anyways! I hope you all can forgive me for the wait. I hate the ending of this chapter, I had it planned out so perfectly in my head, but when I went to type it out, my brain died. I feel bad, but you must settle for this. I'm very very very sorry. /bows.

Please don't forget to review! I love seeing favorites and follows but I love seeing reviews more. /wink wink nudge nudge

Here's to hoping that I update in a timely manner!~

よろしくごさいます。


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